CAM News March 2008
Just the other day I was asked by our marketing department to sum up my thoughts on organic, sustainable foods and why I seem to be incorporating them more and more in menus I create. Unfortunately, my philosophy on organic/ sustainable/ local food is one that can’t be easily summed up with a couple of key points, to an audience not familiar with some of the underlying principles. I’ll try to make it short and sweet. Please bear with me.
The reasons people promote local, organic/ sustainable foods covers a diverse spectrum of thought, as diverse as the American people themselves. There might be many different reasons, but there is, what seems to be a common thread to tell the story of local/ sustainable/ organic foods. My philosophical convictions to champion local and sustainable/organic foods come from both, practical experience and academic pursuits and I am afraid, I have to add to the diversity of opinions mentioned above. Both my professional and educational pursuits required me to reevaluate my conceived notions about food, diet, and health. The correlation between the SAD (Standard American Diet) and the American public’s health, both, economical and physical can no longer be ignored and action is required. It is agreed by most experts that the so-called SAD plays a huge role in the development of chronic disease. By now you are probably asking, what does that have to do with a philosophy on sustainable and organic foods on a restaurant table?